Archives: Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2005

Tentative Marlins ballpark deal announced Posted February 4, 2005We’ve been hearing the last month the Florida Marlins were pretty confident a new ballpark was in the offing, and the announcement yesterday regarding a tentative deal shows the confidence was warranted. Negotiators for Miami-Dade County and the Marlins reached an ”agreement in principle” on funding for a $420-million ballpark next to the Orange Bowl that would give the county and city of Miami a lien on the franchise if the team can’t cover cost overruns. A written document should be completed next week. The agreement is non-binding, however, and faces some hurdles. First, it must be approved by the city and county commissions. Second, there’s a $30 million funding gap; the Marlins have asked the state for $60 million in funding to address this. The big change in reaching the agreement was the Marlins’ agreeing to give the city and the county a lien on the franchise; in most other similar cases teams agree to provide a letter of credit. It’s a fairly big deal. In all, the team has agreed to contribute $192 million and eventually change its name to the Miami Marlins.

New site selected for Charles County ballpark Posted February 4, 2005Charles County officials named a new site yesterday for a proposed 4,500-seat ballpark and abandoned their initial plans to build in the village of Hughesville after receiving heavy criticism from local residents, who feared the ballpark would disrupt the rural nature of the area. The new 72-acre spot, along Piney Branch Road just south of Waldorf, is in a mostly undeveloped area zoned for commercial and industrial development. Peter Kirk, whose Maryland Baseball has worked on the ballpark proposal with county officials, confirmed an independent Atlantic League team will be the tenant.

Case says he was unaware Seals works for Mandalay Posted February 4, 2005We bring you this story only to show how low the level of debate has descended regarding a new ballpark in Greenville, S.C. Here, the Greenville News — which has heavily supported a new ballpark in Greenville’s West End instead of two suburban areas — takes a county councilman, Scott Case, to task because he didn’t know a business associate, Gerald Seals, was lobbying for Mandalay Sports, one of the firms working on a suburban ballpark. Case did indeed vote in favor of creating a multicounty business park to fund a new ballpark. At the time, Mandalay could have benefited, but in the end Mandalay decided to fund its own ballpark, and Case ended up he favoring the proposal to bring the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Class AA; Southern League) to Mauldin. The News says if there’s any potential conflict of interest, Case should have stepped down. That’s true. But if a) Case didn’t know about what his business associate was doing and b) actually voted against the eventual interests of his business associates, where’s the news? Where’s the conflict of interest? This, friends, is the News trying to tar the ballpark proceedings in Greenville County as being hopelessly corrupt. In the end, there’s no news here, and other media outlets in Greenville passed on this story for that very reason. (As we did, quite honestly; the story was peddled to us before the News bit.)

College World Series to remain in Omaha through 2010 Posted February 4, 2005The College World Series is staying in Omaha through at least 2010 after the NCAA and the city signed a five-year contract extension Thursday. The NCAA’s new agreement with Omaha goes into effect in 2006 and contains several improvements to Rosenblatt Stadium. Among them are a new video board and scoreboard, protective fencing in front of each dugout, laser grading of the field and enhanced media facilities and umpire locker rooms. Meanwhile, the NCAA also decided to keep the CWS during the last week of June and rejected pleas to start the season later.

Marion may invest sales tax in new ballpark Posted February 4, 2005Marion (Ill.) city officials are looking at increasing the local sales tax to finance construction of a new ballpark instead of waiting for the state to kick in funding. Plans call for attorney John Simmons to foot the bill for the purchase of a team and land to house the proposed new stadium in Marion, as well as half of the ballpark’s $7.5 million construction cost. Speaking of Marion: the the sale of the Savannah Sand Gnats (Class A; Sally League) to Simmons is moving along after Sally League approval, but a move of the franchise to Marion is not expected, despite speculation to the contrary. Simmons says he’s willing to sign a long-term lease for Grayson Stadium and might look at a new ballpark in Savannah down the line if it makes economic sense.

Lancaster announces naming-rights deal for the Hangar Posted February 4, 2005The Lancaster JetHawks (Class A; California League) and the City of Lancaster announced that the Lancaster City Council will consider approval of a proposal to sell the naming rights of Lancaster Municipal Stadium to Clear Channel Radio of Antelope Valley. The City Council will vote on this agreement during its February 8 meeting and if approved, The Hangar, officially called Lancaster Municipal Stadium, will be renamed Clear Channel Stadium at Lancaster. (We earlier linked to an article containing some incorrect information; this press release contains the correct information.)

Time keeps rolling on; so does ‘Twig’ Posted February 4, 2005Wayne Terwilliger is returning for another season as manager of the Fort Worth Cats (independent; Central Baseball League). He’s been in uniform for more than 5,000 professional games as a player, coach and manager in the majors and minors; this season he’ll join Connie Mack as the only 80-year-old managers in the history of professional baseball. All of that is nice, but we just wanted an excuse to run a photo of one of our favorite people in baseball, truth be known.

Baseball Notes Posted February 4, 2005The Montgomery Biscuits (Class AA; Southern League) announced today that Sales Director Patrick Day is being promoted to Assistant General Manager. Day leads the Biscuits’ sales department, including individual season tickets, corporate season tickets and group sales. Under his leadership, the Biscuits broke all pre-season sales expectations in 2004. The Biscuits sold 322,946 tickets in all and surpassed expectations in season ticket sales, group ticket sales and sponsorship income….Terry Byrom is the new radio play-by-play announcer for the Harrisburg Senators (Class AA; Eastern League). Byrom comes to Harrisburg from Fort Wayne, where he has been the director of broadcasting for the past two seasons for the Fort Wayne Wizards (Class A; Midwest League)….Former major leaguer Glenn Wilson is the new manager of the Chillicothe Paints (independent; Frontier League)….Todd Brommelkamp is the new sports information director for the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Class A; Midwest League)….

SkyDome renamed Rogers Centre; extreme makeover planned Posted February 3, 2005Rogers Communications, the new owner of SkyDome, announced some pretty extensive changes to the facility once hailed as a modern engineering marvel. For starters, it’s now Rogers Centre. Between now and the season opener the Toronto Blue Jays will unveil a new FieldTurf surface (replacing the ancient Astroturf) and a building-wide scoring and display system from Daktronics. In addition, the team says other improvements will come over time. Not everyone is pleased with the new name; team officials say to give it time. More from the Globe and Mail, which also notes Rogers is increasing team payroll to $210 million over the next three seasons — too late for the team to have retained Carlos Delgado, unfortunately.

District closer to funding target Posted February 3, 2005Natwar Gandhi, the District of Columbia’s chief financial officer, likely will certify at least two of eight offers of private financing for a new ballpark in Southeast, paving the way for the city to meet its target of funding half the hard construction costs with private money. Gandhi must submit his report on the offers to the D.C. Council by March 15. At that time, Mayor Anthony A. Williams must endorse at least one certified bid and submit it for council approval. Meanwhile, the Nationals unveiled their uniforms yesterday and players visited RFK Stadium for the first time.

Expos sell Youppi! Posted February 3, 2005Speaking of the Nationals: the team sold Youppi!, the mascot of the former Montreal Expos, to a local Montreal business. No one is saying who is buying the distinctive orange mascot; ESPN was reporting he was going to the Montreal Canadians, but team officials deny a transaction is taking place. (Of course, why ESPN is spending time reporting on the final destination of Youppi! is another issue entirely; surely news isn’t that hard to find during Super Bow Week.)

Richmond baseball, take two? Posted February 3, 2005A proposal to bring a new ballpark in the Shockoe Bottom district for the Richmond Braves (Class AAA; International League) never died; it was just under study by the team. Now Braves GM Bruce Baldwin is ready to discuss the proposal again at the end of the month and determine the long-term future of the Braves in Richmond. The team signed a three-year lease extension for The Diamond, and even though city officials were willing to spend money on field improvements, it’s pretty clear the ballpark in its present state is not a long-term solution. Preservationists have been against the ballpark because they say it would destroy the historic fabric of the Bottom, the city’s birthplace. Still, there are ways to design a ballpark to minimize its impact and incorporate historic buildings; Louisville and San Diego are great examples.

Baseball team needs decision in February Posted February 3, 2005Rick Kelley, chairman of the Play Ball! committee in Bowling Green, says it would be an “ideal thing” if land purchases for a new minor-league baseball field in downtown Bowling Green take place within six to nine months. The committee is working on a private financing plan for the ballpark and want to see the city contribute the land.

Devil Rays hope for new park Posted February 3, 2005Fun Entertainment, the new owners of the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays (Class A; Midwest League), want to be in a new ballpark — perhaps as soon as 2007 — as the team seeks a replacement for C.O. Stadium. This article says discussions are in the early stages, but that’s not true. Even before buying the team Bill Shea and his then-partner David Hersh had been talking with city officials about a new ballpark; last fall Shea told Midwest League owners the city was willing to give the team 64 acres of land in the western part of the city and build a new ballpark if the team made a 20-year commitment. Shea and Hersh were also leveraging discussions with nearby Kalamazoo regarding a new ballpark as well as the possibility of moving the team to Marion, Ill., forcing Battle Creek’s hand. A move into a new ballpark in 2007 also explains why the owners last fall chose Devil Rays as a team name. In MiLB, you cannot change team names every two years unless you’re dumping an affiliate and shedding their name. Now, let’s be realistic: there are no devil rays and no group of Tampa Bay fans in Battle Creek — this is not the most marketable of names. But by adopting the D-Rays moniker and then changing affiliates after 2006, Fun Entertainment could legitimately adopt a new team name and make a big splash when a new ballpark opens.

Waukesha County not committing to ballpark Posted February 3, 2005Peter Heitman now wants to bring an independent Frontier League team to the Waukesha County Exposition Center, building a 6,000-seat ballpark there. Heitman earlier made a similar pitch to build a ballpark at Frame Park, but withdrew that idea after concluding the site was too small and there was no community support for the idea. Meanwhile, National Sports Services — which had also proposed a ballpark for Frame Park for a Northern League team, a proposal that apparently has died — has also informally inquired about the possibility of a ballpark at the expo center. Local officials were noncommittal. In addition to the two pro pitches, a group connected with the college wood-bat Northwoods League is working toward a new park in downtown Delafield.

Farmer dooms projects with erratic leadership Posted February 3, 2005The Jackson Sun comes down on Mayor Charles Farmer for erratic leadership regarding the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Class AA; Southern League) and a proposed new sportsplex next to Pringles Park. "The lack of direction and leadership coming from Jackson Mayor Charles Farmer regarding the Diamond Jaxx and a proposed $11 million travel baseball complex has us, and we suspect many others, downright confused and frustrated. Such important and costly public issues demand leadership from the top. Right now, that’s just not happening. In fact, things have gotten so bad, both projects might fail. That would be a shame and a cruel financial burden for taxpayers." The paper does want to see the Diamond Jaxx stay in Jackson and a sportsplex built; it just wants to see both done in a fiscally responsible manner. The moves by Farmer come at a time when he’s telling city employees to tighten their belts. It’s always hard to justify spending city money on things like ballparks and sports complexes, but especially so when you’re telling city employees to tighten their belts. Now, having said that, if the city can issue bonds for a new development and have the income pay for the bonds over time — and in the process spur private investment in the city and preserve the city’s investment in the ballpark — it would be fiscally irresponsible not to look at doing so. Whether the particulars of this deal will allow such a thing to happen, though, is the big issue. The Diamond Jaxx are seeking the Greenville (S.C.) territory along with the Capital City Bombers (Class A; Sally League) and the Hagerstown Suns (Class A; Sally League).

Mandalay pledges millions for Hagerstown ballpark Posted February 3, 2005Speaking of the Hagerstown Suns (Class A; Sally League): Hagerstown city officials say team owner Mandalay Sports Entertainment has pledged millions toward a new ballpark in the city’s East End. (No confirmation from Mandalay on this pledge, however.) Whether the Suns play at a new ballpark is another issue: Mandalay is seeking to move the team to a new ballpark in the Greenville area, but they’ve pledged to bring another team to Hagerstown if the Suns move.

Signs of spring in Burlington Posted February 3, 2005Renovation of Community Field, the home of the Burlington Bees (Class A; Midwest League), should be ready in time for the season opener. The brick is up on the front side of the main building and the frame of the press box rises above the main grandstand, while the steel roof of the main building — housing offices, a conference room, the ticket booth, concession stand and souvenir stand — and the steel frame of the press box should be finished by Wednesday.

Ballpark frankness in Pittsburgh Posted February 3, 2005The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review takes Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy to task for complaining about the high cost of salaries and not being able to afford a winner. Yes, Pittsburgh is not a large-market team. Neither is Minnesota, and the Twins seem to be doing well enough. Neither is Miami, and the Marlins seem to be doing well enough. (Oakland is a larger market than Billy Beane likes to admit, but he runs it like a small-market team.) Using the size of the market as an excuse for losing simply doesn’t cut it among smart baseball fans, who know that a shrewd and well-organized front office can negate many of the advantages enjoyed by the Yankees and the Red Sox.

Rockford ballpark plans nearly complete Posted February 3, 2005The Rockford RiverHawks (independent; Frontier League) are finalizing plans for a new ballpark and will release bids shortly, with a groundbreaking for the building foundations expected later this month. A lot of work is completed, including excavation of the seating bowl, parking-lot landscaping and installation of storm sewers.

ECU ballpark set for completion Posted February 3, 2005The new ballpark at East Carolina University, Clark-LeClair Stadium, is close to completion, just in time for a March 4 opening day. The total cost of the reconstruction is $9.7 million, which includes new dugouts, locker rooms, souvenir stands, an indoor batting tunnel and offices for the coaches and staff. The stadium has turned the 1,800 bleacher seats into 3,000 permanent structured seating with backings. The new stadium will have a cook at the concession stand and additional concession stands will be offered.

Homestead still dealing with baseball complex Posted February 3, 2005Homestead (Fla.) officials are still dealing with a sports complex originally built as (but never used as) a spring-training facility for the Cleveland Indians. A deal to lease the facility was scrapped after three months after the tenant couldn’t make utility payments; a deal to sell the complex fell through as well.

Baseball Notes Posted February 3, 2005Mike Young is the new manager of the Rockford RiverHawks (independent; Frontier League), replacing Bob Koopman. Young managed Brisbane and Perth in the professional Australian Baseball League for four seasons and won a pennant during that time; he’s also spent time as a cricket coach….The Portland Tribune is reporting the Portland Beavers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are in talked with John Cunningham to take over as GM. He’s currently VP of business operations with the Idaho Steelheads minor-league hockey team.

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